Bake Sale

Today we had a bale sale~



We sold...
Lemon Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almond Shortbread Cookies
Oatmeal Cookies :P
Chili & Cornbread
Chocolate Cake
and
Pumpkin Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

We raised $170.
Thanks to everyone that came!

It's so hot D: In the middle of December. WHY???
This years weather has been VERY odd.
I have finals this week D: I hate school.
I hate tests. I always space out on them.

Update

I just got accepted by AFS Japan today :D
Yay. So this means that I am officially going.

★１６★

I have the urge to update this blog everyday! But I resist because it isn't Japan related!! I should just go use my Ameba blog...it has cool emotes too~

On my exchange I will probably be updating this as everyday with short posts, like an idol blog, and the weekly long post! Because I have wanted to do it so many times, but haven't. I'll just have to wait till I go on exchange :(

Today I received the guideline packet from AFS :)

Yesterday was my birthday!♥
I am now 16!
Now that I am 16, a lot of unlucky things have happened though D:
And I feel old. I can't imagine myself being 16, like it's some unreachable age. I feel the same way about 17 and 18, but I never thought that about 14 and 15.

My mom gave me 4 lunch boxes. The cute kind from Japan~
There are two double layer ones, both pink, one with strawberries and one with trees, and two one layer one, green plaid and birds. Because I like having cute stuff like that, whether it be a lunch box, clothing, headphones, or even a pencil, I love cute girly things~ My tastes are also a bit childish...
I got some other stuff from Japan too~
My mom recently went to San Francisco and bought me all this stuff in Japan town.
Gosh if this were Ameba I'd be adding some cute hearts and sparklies~



I received $100 from my Grandma as a present to put toward my full tuition. I also received $60 dollars from a group of my mom's friends. I also have $30 of my own money so far.
Only $6410 more to go! Still a lot!

I'm gonna start applying for jobs now that I'm 16. I am going to turn my application in this week for a Toy Shop at the mall that is currently hiring.

Lately I have been reading other on exchangers blogs that after a while (several months) they developed a love-hate relationship with Japan. I already have a love-hate relationship with Japan though...haha...It's the same for me with America though too. But that doesn't mean I am any less determined to go to Japan!!! :3 hehe~ がんばりま～す！

来たっ！

It came!
My passport finally came in the mail!
Yay~ It's so thin! And it smells funny~
But my passport picture is ugly!!! D:
Very disappointed with how it turned out!
I want to retake my picture and have it be cuter -3-
But I am really excited to have it!
I get excited over silly things like this...
Like buying a new facewash, or getting a magazine in the mail. It's not something big, but I'm still excited XD
lol

Off to Japan....well my application that is.

Earlier this week I was notified by AFS that my application was submitted to AFS-Japan. I have to wait 4-6 weeks for the results. I very much hope I get in! I'm worried I won't because of spaces available. I know that about 30 kids from the US went last year. Would the USA side even accept me (and give me a scholarship) if there was no space left??

緊張しています。。。

SCHOLARSHIP!!!!

Unfortunately, I did not receive the AFS Yoshi Hattori or Toshiyuki Tanaka Scholarships that offer a full scholarship, BUT I did get a $4000 partial scholarship to go to Japan!!! OMG, I am SOOOOOO incredibly happy right now! My parents told me that if I didn't get any kind of scholarship, I probably wouldn't be able to go abroad next year, and I would have to wait till 2012, but now I have a partial scholarship!! I am so very grateful to my scholarship sponsor! I have to meet some requirements to have the scholarship apply to my tuition though. I have to...

1. Complete the Full AFS Application and Pay the $900 tuition deposit within one month.
I've already done that though! Yay! Step 1 complete!

2. Write a thank you letter to my scholarship sponsor
I am very grateful to them, so of course this is only natural and I have no problem with it!

3. After the program consider registering with AFS as a youth volunteer or contribute in other ways to AFS
I don't know what a youth volunteer does, but it sounds fun! Maybe I could even get community service hours XD haha

4. Submit an essay to your scholarship sponsor addressing the impact of your AFS experience
Easy enough!

Optional: Launch blog
I've already done that too!

I am going to get started fundraising the rest of my tuition now!

パスポート

Today I went and applied for my passport! I should be getting it in 4-6 weeks.

I also turned in my full application for AFS!
Because it is required to turn in your full application by the 15th (today) if you want to apply for the scholarships. I hope I win! But I wish good luck to everyone else who applied as well!

Study Abroad in Japan

Hello, My name is Safiya Q. and I am a 15 year old high shcool junior living  in southern California. This year I applied for a year study abroad in 2011 to Nihon (Japan) through AFS! I have been in many clubs and sports throughout the years, such as Newspaper, Tennis, Color Guard, and many others! I love to read, draw, and sing (especially in Japanese), and I attend Japanese School every Saturday. I have always loved trying new things and going new places, and ever since 7th grade I have always want to go abroad to Japan to discover more about the country. I have been interested in Japan ever since I was a little girl; I have been studying the language for around 6 years, and I would love to further my proficiency in it and learn more about the culture in Japan.


In Japan I would be able to experience living with a Japanese host family and attending a Japanese High School, and I know that this experience would benefit me so much. I know that I can grow from this, and I want to be able to make lasting memories with all the people I would meet in Japan. And what I would take from this experience, I want to apply it to my future and go on the JET Programme, a program where native English speakers are brought to Japan to teach English in Japanese schools, after college. One of my goals for the future is to one day become a translator, but I would like to discover the many different uses of being bilingual in English and Japanese, and going on this program would give me the chance to do that. 


My goal is to raise $11,500 to cover my full tuition. I am applying for the full scholarship offers, and as soon as I turn 16 in October, I plan to get a part-time job to help me raise money. I am also going to start to sell things online and take up small jobs to help cover the cost. Unfortunately, my family is not affluent, especially in the current economy, so I know that going on this trip is impossible financially unless I do my best to fundraise! So I want to give it my all to make my dreams a reality. To anyone that donates, I am extremely grateful to you! If you can, please share my blog with others to help me! To sponsor my AFS program now, please click the ChipIn button! Thank you very much for taking the time to read this!